respondents to speak freely about such issues before adjusting the focus of the interview. Further, the respondent should be assured that they may withdraw from the interview at any time, and are not compelled to answer questions they feel uncomfortable answering. The interviewer should also exercise judgment in not asking a particular question or follow-on question when it is clear that it would cause additional stress to the respondent and should also recognize when it is appropriate to terminate the interview, either in the interests of the respondent’s wellbeing or the interviewer’s. Verifying facts and chronology Note that individuals may exaggerate or put themselves under pressure to make a particular impression, particularly if they are trying to justify their decision to flee their home country.27 This does not mean their story is untrue, but it may mean there is some element of exaggeration.28 Further, it may be possible that a respondent will repeat stories that he or she heard in the media without otherwise witnessing these events. Because verifying the testimony of refugees may be particularly difficult due to an inability to visit their home country, it is important to respectfully seek clarification where a respondent’s story appears inconsistent or contradictory. For example, questions about the distance between the respondent and the perpetrator or victim and requests for physical description of victims or perpetrators will yield more accurate responses. Try to establish a clear chronology of events, which may be done by asking the same questions in different ways.29 This is an important aspect of ensuring the reliability of the information. The interviewer should try to test the internal consistency and coherence of the respondent’s narrative without directly challenging the respondent’s credibility. Recording physical or psychological symptoms Interviewers may wish to record the physical or psychological symptoms observed during the interview or during a separate medical examination.30 If possible, the assistance of a medical professional should be sought during the interview to assess the symptoms. Alternatively, the interviewer can carefully observe and record any details for later evaluation by a medical professional. If photos are taken for this purpose, care should be taken not to disclose the identity of the individual in the photos by excluding recognizable features (see tips for photography, discussed in Section III). Generally, any obvious injury, e.g., swelling, bruises, cuts, grazes, or burns, should be noted. Attempts should be made to establish the site, size, shape, color, and type of injury. It may be helpful to indicate them on a body diagram. To establish the size of an injury, it may be helpful to compare it to the size of a common object. With the assistance of a medical professional, the interviewer can consider whether symptoms are consistent with ill-treatment alleged by the respondent. 16